George Maple // In Short

Welcome to The Great Escape! If you’re on your way down to Brighton to catch some of the 400 bands ready to rock the South Coast we salute you.

We’ve done our best to introduce some of the best and brightest names playing this year. This has included exclusive chats, pictures and tunes from Alma, Homeshake, Charlotte Day Wilson, Lab Coast, Shock Machine, Pom Poko, Shitkid, The Goon Sax, Be Charlotte, Life, Maria Kelly, Froth, Fazerdaze, Sigrid and Noga Erez (Catch up here).

Phew.

But the fun is just beginning. And you don’t even have to leave London to join the party as George Maple plays Birthdays tonight (May 18th) before jetting down to Brighton to play on Saturday night (May 20th). We recommend you catch the Londoner’s always sizzling live show.

If the recent video for her new single ‘Kryptonite’ – which sees George suspended and harnessed in a swing above a club of revellers – is anything to go by it’s bound to be a night to remember.

“This song is about letting go and falling in love with life beyond what I could control,” George says. “I was connecting with new people and having new experiences and I wanted the video to capture this energy. I also wanted the video to feel a little ridiculous, confronting and most of all, fun.

“I was inspired by a lot of the greats, such as Diana Ross, Donna Summer, George Michael and Janet Jackson. I feel they always tended to capture this kind of warmth with all they created. It was about inspiring community and expression.”

We wanted to know more. So we sat down and asked her the burning questions. Little did we know that Pizza Hut and Pierce Brosnan would feature in her answers. Read on…

If I had to describe my music in 3 words, I’d use… 80s strip-club cinematic

My favourite film ever is… My film knowledge is embarrassingly limited and I’m discovering a lot of classic films later in life. I think Baz Lurham’s Romeo and Juliet had a pretty immense impact on me creatively – more for the marriage of the soundtrack and the film than anything else. The most famous person I’ve met Ummm, I met Pierce Brosnan in Hamleys when I was 11. But I was too nervous to say hello. However, my brother had way more confidence as a six-year-old and shook his hand

The song I hate the most is… Not a huge fan of hating songs

The worst job I’ve ever had is… I worked at Pizza Hut for two weeks when I was 14 – until I realised I could make more money singing jazz covers at a local restaurant.

If I was in a tribute band it would be… Pink Floyd – specifically for Great Gig in The Sky. I did that once, it was intense and very liberating.

My favourite word is… Luxury

If I had a super power I’d want it to be… Flying

If I could play a gig anywhere it would be… Probably in an old palace or castle somewhere, with secrets woven into the walls.